In Brief
Pandemic Flu Monitor: WHO Says Healthy People Should Not Need Anti-Viral Drugs
Cheree Cleghorn | August 21, 2009
“Healthy patients who get H1N1 swine flu without suffering complications do not need to be treated with antivirals like Tamiflu, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
“But the drugs are strongly recommended for pregnant women, patients with underlying medical conditions and children under 5, since they are at increased risk of more severe illness.
“However, judging who will need antivirals is not easy for doctors since the risk of developing severe illness from the new flu strain is not restricted to people who have chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or asthma.” (Emphasis added)
Source: Reuters,August 21, 2009
